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מַחֲנֵה־דָן

𐤌𐤇𐤍𐤄־𐤃𐤍

Machaneh Dan

H4265 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חנה, דן to encamp, settle in tents, judge, act as a judge

Definition

A compound proper name meaning 'the camp of Dan,' referring to a specific geographic location associated with the tribe of Dan in biblical narratives. Most often, it designates the area where members of the tribe of Dan encamped, especially in the period of the Judges. The lexical meaning emphasizes a physical encampment belonging to or associated with the Danite group.

Semantic Range

encamped area of the Danites, gathering place of the tribe of Dan, a temporary or semi-permanent settlement, a geographic landmark associated with the Danite encampment, specific locality mentioned in Judges

Root / Etymology

A compound formed from the noun מַחֲנֶה (camp, encampment) derived from the root חנה (to encamp, pitch tents) and the proper name דָן (Dan), from the root דן (to judge), the ancestor and tribal designation of one of the Israelite tribes.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מַחֲנֵה־דָן (Machaneh-Dan) is first mentioned in the book of Judges (Judg 13:25, 18:12) as the area where Danites were settled or assembled, initially described in the Shephelah (hill country) of Judah near Zorah and Eshtaol. The term reflects the semi-nomadic patterns of the earliest tribal period, when groups identified by their ancestor (Dan) established temporary or semi-permanent encampments. Later, as tribal territories solidified, such encampments could develop into more fixed settlements, but the name preserves the memory of the tent-based, mobile phase. The designation is specific to the Danite tribe, distinguishing it from other tribal encampments. English renderings such as 'Mahaneh-dan' and 'camp of Dan' generally capture the meaning. In later periods, as the Danite migrated north (Judg 18), the association may have shifted geographically. Not to be confused with the abstract sense of 'camp' (מחנה) used for military formations or assemblies of other tribes. The later English term 'Mahanehdan' (KJV) does not reflect a distinct religious or ethnic connotation beyond the Danite affiliation; it does not refer to 'Judahites,' 'Judeans,' or practitioners of later Judaism.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from מַחֲנֶה and דָּן; camp of Dan; Machaneh-Dan, a place in Palestine; Mahaneh-dan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דין (d-y-n) — to judge, govern, litigate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1777 דִּין Judge
H1778 דִּין those who judge
H1779 דִּין legal judgment
H1780 דִּין legal judgment
H1781 דַּיָּן to a judicial official

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4265-02 מַחֲנֵה machaneh HNp Camp encampment of 1
H4265-01 דָ֗ן dan HNp of Dan He-has-judged 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4265-02 Judges 18:12 מַחֲנֵה machaneh HNp Camp encampment of
H4265-01 Judges 18:12 דָ֗ן dan HNp of Dan He-has-judged
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